Lenticular image products include a lenticular lens element through which an associated composite image is viewed. The lenticular lens element includes an array of parallel lenticules having cylindrical lenses. The associated composite image includes a number of images which have been decomposed into image strips which are interleaved. Under each lenticule is a set of image strips, one strip from each image, the number of adjacent sets being equal to the number of lenticules. Relative motion between the lenticular image product and a viewer can produce any one of several image effects, including depth imaging, dynamic imaging, flip imaging, etc., depending upon the content of the composite image.
The manufacture of high quality lenticular image products involves the selection of a number of key parameters. These parameters often depend on the desired application and include variables such as:
Lenticular pitch. PA1 Image type. PA1 Refractive index of the material to be printed. PA1 Size of the image sheet to be printed. PA1 Method of illuminating final image. PA1 Focal point position. PA1 Desired lenticular image viewing effect: PA1 Viewing distance. PA1 Number of image scan lines per unit pitch.
For example, if the image is to be illuminated from behind, a transparency is required. If the image is to be illuminated from the front, a reflection image is required. Images may also be illuminated from both behind and in front requiring yet another image type. These changes also involve the selection of different image receiving layers for the imaging material.
For images to produce a smooth sensation of depth, a larger number of unique views is required compared to those lenticular images producing the sensation of motion. This requirement may also require a change in lenticular pitch.
As a result of these requirements, a lenticular image printer has to be able to handle different types of material. Furthermore, these different types of material require different responses from the printer. For example, for a change in lenticular pitch, the printer has to adapt to the required scan line spacing and spot size as well as a possible change in thickness of the material. For a change in image receiving layer characteristics, the printer must change parameters which could include writing speed, image processing changes, such as peaking, color correction, energy profiles, and spot size, to mention a few. It is therefore desirable to ensure that the printer can adapt to the type of material on which it has to write. It is also desirable that there be a means of communicating to the printer the type of lenticular material being fed to it.
The following patents disclosing techniques for aligning lenticular lens elements which do not solve these problems.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,699,190, inventors Young et al., issued Dec. 16, 1997.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,038, inventors Slater et al., issued Oct. 13, 1998.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,194, inventor Morton, issued Nov. 10, 1998.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,335, inventor Street, issued Dec. 13, 1994.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,270, inventor Taylor, issued Dec. 26, 1995.
The following patents disclosing techniques for providing coded holes or other indicia to identify one or more conventional film characteristics do not solve these problems either.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,289,740, inventors Stuber et al., issued Jul. 19, 1942.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,437,742, inventor Taniguchi, issued March 20, 1984.